Investigative Editor

Flatwater Free Press is looking for someone to oversee our biggest, boldest, most ambitious journalism. A player-coach. A conductor. A person with an investigative brain and a passion for accountability reporting.

This is a new role for us, and that’s part of the appeal. You’ll be responsible for making sure our longform and investigative projects run smoothly: that our backout schedules are smart, realistic, and effective; that our records requests are timely, that our source development is strategic and that our reporters are supported in their deepest dives. You’ll shape the award-winning journalism we’re most proud of – stories that shine light where it’s most needed. Stories that matter.

And you’ll have the chance to shine, too. We are open to reporters looking to edit in addition to leading their own projects. Share a byline. Lead a big one yourself. Tag in when something’s stuck. We’re wide open to the right balance based on your skills and desires. If you bring other skills to the table – audience engagement, data wrangling, live event strategy, podcast planning — we’ll build with you, not around you.

This position can be based anywhere in the great state of Nebraska. We have office locations in Lincoln and Omaha, but are open to remote work elsewhere in the state. You will work alongside a newsroom of reporters who care deeply about getting it right and going deep, a newsroom that has now won five national awards in the past three years. We’re small but mighty. We’re growing. This is a key role in that growth.

Who are you?

You’re someone with a track record of deeply reported work. That can mean stories with your byline, stories you’ve edited, projects you’ve led. You know how great investigative stories are made, and you’ve got the chops and temperament to guide them to the finish line.

You’re a systems thinker who thrives on timelines and processes, but who also knows that real life, and real reporting, is messy. You can juggle the needs of multiple projects without losing your sense of humor. You believe that journalism can make a difference and you want to be part of that impact every day.

What can you expect?

Time. This is longform work. We don’t chase every press release or blow up our week for breaking news. We chase truth. Accountability. Impact. We envision this person overseeing or driving 4-6 projects a year. You’ll have the time to do this right.

Support. Our editors, lawyers, board and fundraising team are all deeply committed to investigative journalism. We’ll fight for your records. We’ll back your reporting. We’ll stand with you when the trolls roll in.

Creativity. We’re building something new here. We want to team up with podcasters and influencers as much as the daily newspapers and TV news. We do live events and commission art pieces. Weird ideas are more than welcome, they’re encouraged. Let your freak flag fly. Chances are we’ll be into it.

What will you get from us?

• Pay: $72,000-$85,000 per year, depending on experience.
• Benefits: Health, dental, vision, with the company covering 80% for you and your dependents. A 401k with 3% match.
• Vacation: Four weeks off and an additional week-long office-wide shutdown during the winter holidays.
• A job with purpose. Here you will have the chance to spend your time shaping impactful journalism – and be shaped by it in return.
• We are committed to building a newsroom that reflects the communities we cover.
• We strongly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, especially from communities underrepresented in journalism — including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities. This is not just HR boilerplate. It’s a core part of who we are and how we operate.

If this sounds like your kind of challenge, we want to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to apply — even if you don’t check every box.

About the Nebraska Journalism Trust

The Nebraska Journalism Trust is Nebraska’s first and only statewide, independent, nonprofit news organization. Its flagship publication, the Flatwater Free Press, produces a combination of investigative journalism and feature stories that hold leaders accountable, explore solutions, and share the best of Nebraska. Stories are freely available online at www.flatwaterfreepress.org, in a weekly e-mail newsletter, and through partnering news outlets across the state. Nebraska Documenters, is published on Flatwater Free Press and trains and pays citizen journalists to attend under-reported meetings of local government boards. The Nebraska Journalism Trust additionally publishes Silicon Prairie News, a digital publication focused on business and start-ups. Stories are freely available online at www.siliconprairienews.com, in a weekly e-mail newsletter, and through partnering news outlets across the state. Transparency is a core value; our financials, policies, board and staff bios, and donor list are here: www.nebraskajournalismtrust.org